Christmas 2011

What a Christmas! The kids had a great time the entire month and Christmas Day just capped it. I'm thankful for all my friends and family who helped with gifts and babysitting the kids, and I'm extremely grateful for the kind people in Rexburg who do little (and big) things to help me remember the true meaning of Christmas.

I'm also extremely grateful Christmas is over! Onto to 2012...it's gonna be a doozy!

Christmas Eve:








Lynnli is so much fun! The kids would give her a kiss, then she'd grab on with both hands and give them back an open-mouthed kiss---which was more of an attack than kiss.








Kids drinking the special hot cocoa that would help them sleep:


Christmas morning:






Cooper feeding Amelia's doll.






I'll get more pictures from Courtney and post those, too!

Busy, busy days.

The last few weeks have been nuts. December seems to begin and then move in fast-forward until Christmas! We've visted Santa, attended parties, had lunch with friends and stopped in at many Christmas-oriented festivities. Speaking of those, I think my Christmas cards will end up being Happy Groundhog Day cards unless you want an electronic one......if so, leave me your email in the comments and I'll shoot you one.

All in all, I think I'm just about ready for the new year! Then I remember all three of us will be in school come January, and I'm okay with it coming a bit slower. Merry Christmas!

Cooper pondering what's in the wrapped gifts under the tree. (This is truly how he poses).


Decorating sugar cookies. I'm thinking of enrolling Amelia in a few baking/decorating classes this summer.


The cookies. They are supposed to be melted snowmen. We made a few for Amelia's teachers and our babysitters and the kids wanted to try them. I'd already colored the frosting, but they didn't mind.

O, Christmas Tree!

We finally picked up our tree this week. We always get a live one, but at the rate the price is increasing we may have to switch to fake in a few years! Amelia and Cooper were really excited and quite impressed when Mommy threw the tree over her shoulder and carried it to Ben's truck. Thanks to Ben and Matthew for helping us haul it home and set it up! Here's a few pictures:

Amelia and Cooper on the hunt for the perfect tree. They decided quickly, mostly because it was 8 degrees outside.


Matthew. You have to take pictures quickly, because the little boy doesn't sit still much anymore!


See?


The next day we decorated the tree in record time. I managed a few pics:

Amelia and I.


Cooper and I. That flash still gets him!


My favorite ornament to date!


Amelia was so cute. She made labels for each of us and unpacked all the ornaments,
placing them into their proper pile. I wonder where she got that from....


Cooper by his favorite ornament!


UPDATE: Our finished tree.

What? What did you say? Why is Cooper's doggie ornament on the lowest branch and touching the floor? BECAUSE COOPER WANTED IT TO. Makes him giggle every time he sees it.

Nutcracker 2011

Amelia performed in the City of Rexburg's "Nutcracker" ballet this weekend. She was a clown and did so well! I'm so proud of her! She had no stage fright whatsoever, and when she was finished said, "I like performing!" We may have a star in the making. Here are a few pictures I managed to take in between Amelia's socializing and rehearsing with the other ballerinas:

In her clown costume:


The prima donna after the final performance.


My brother Courtney, who is a whiz with anything technical or electronic, took a really good video of Amelia's Saturday performance. I'll see if I can post it, but it's a big file, so you may just have to visit us to see the next Pavlova!

Last trip to the park!

The weather was warmer on Monday, so I took the kids to the park for the last time to run out some energy. Here's some pictures:







We also decorated for Christmas last Saturday, which could be a record for the earliest I've done it! Our home is very festive and sparkly!


Just a few things that have happened the last few weeks:

1. I registered for my classes. I'm officially a college student again!

2. Cooper was accepted to the preschool at BYUI for January--all three of us will be in school!

3. Amelia's front teeth are slowly moving forward...we may dodge the two sets of braces.

Call Thanksgiving 2011

Surprisingly, we ALL made it to Thanksgiving this year. I don't have many pictures because I had to leave early to head back to Rexburg to work. It was fun to see everyone!

The beautiful table by Katie Call Bundy.


Cooper couldn't wait for us slooooow adults, so he had a little celebration on his own.


"NO, ANDY!!! You'll get the table messy! Eat your donut somewhere else!"


The whole family...kind of. Matthew was behind Ben, Lynnli was asleep, and Cooper was watching TV. Courtney, of course, is taking the picture.

A Few Things...

...that happened this week.

Amelia FINALLY got her "hooker" boots. Although I call them her "tall" or "black" boots because my 7 1/2 year old probably shouldn't be saying "hooker" in any context.





As you can see, they add a little sassiness to her attitude.

Part of Amelia's homework is to read 20 minutes every weekday. She slacks sometimes and then has to make up a few days at a time. She was about a week behind, so I told her in a weak moment if she finished her monthly reading by Thanksgiving break I'd buy her hair feathers she's been wanting. I didn't think she could do it because she had 3 hours of reading to make that goal.



I ordered the feathers last night.

She read from 3pm-6pm straight. I need to choose my threats a little more carefully in the future.

In Cooper news, he had gymnastics yesterday and got a small rug burn on his chin. He was crying on the way home, worried about everything he couldn't do with a hurt chin (climb a ladder! do a bear walk!). I was telling him he was okay and he calmed down a bit. He was quiet for awhile and then wailed, "Oh, NO! I won't be able to drive the car!" I asked what car and he said, "This one!" I told him I'd do it, since he was too little anyway. He started crying again and said, "But when I'm older!" I assured him his chin would be healed by then and all was well.